God knows exactly what King Ahasuerus will do next, and so he prepares his people accordingly with appropriate gifts. He gives to his servant Mordecai, the compassion to adopt his young cousin Esther, and the wisdom to insist that she hide her lineage from the people around her. God gives to his servant Esther, the beauty to be selected to the king's harem, and the personality to enthrall Ahasuerus, and be chosen queen. And God gives to both of them, the opportunity of Queen Vashti's rebellion, to make possible this chain of events, so that Esther will have access to the ear of the king.
God knows exactly what challenges WE will face in the future as well. And so, God prepares us accordingly by giving us appropriate gifts. We are given gifts of personality like resilience, leadership, and wisdom. We are given gifts of provision, like the ability to farm, and extract value from natural resources. We are given gifts of community, like family, friends, and congregation. We are given gifts of opportunity, like the opportunity to engage in the political process, bringing the influence of God to worldly affairs.
And, most importantly, we are given the gift that prepares us BEYOND the future here on earth. We are given the gift of God's Son Jesus, who died on the cross and rose from the dead, to prepare us for eternity.
Gracious God, use us as your agents, to spread your Word and reflect your values to all the arenas in which we find ourselves. Gift us with what we need to be effective, in Jesus' name....